Bolling ivi



March 18 1924. 1,487,007

' F. c. BIGGERT, JR

ROLLING MILL .Filed Sent. 8, 192g 3 Sheets-Sheet 1f March 18 1924. 1,487,007

F. C. BIGGERT, JR I ROLLING MILL Filed Sept, 1.922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENT9R Wm M jeu egy.

March 18 1924.

F. C. BIGGERT, JR

ROLLING MILL Filed Sent. 8 1.922

W I l 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES FLORENCE C. BIGGERT, 31%., OF ?IESTSBUi ENGINEERING & FOUNDRY 001i? .4 PGRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLING lrIILL.

Application filed Septcmb er 1 "o (6 whom it may concern Be it liIlOWfn that l, iionnn J12, a citizen or". the United in P t burgh, in the county and f-Eltate ct c aylvanla, have intrusetu inipr veinent in Roll hauls, of which follow" 1g is lull, oh and exact description, reierence being to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- i igure i is a view, largely diagranun tie and partly in section, illustrating a portion of the roughing stand ro ls and a portion of the finishing stand rolls;

lligure 2 is a view, partlv in elevation and partly in section, on the line Ell-11 oi are l' and re 3 is a top plan View of the con n illustrated in Figure l.

e present invention relates broadly to rolling mills, and in particularly to rolling iills oi" the balanced type especially adapt d for the rolling of sheets.

It has heretoitwe been proposed in this art to construct she mills comprising twohigh roughing stand and a two-high finishstru rp ing stand located with the rolls in end-to-end relationship. In such mills it is customary to drive the bottom rolls both stands from one end through a suitable spindle located intermediate the roll Ends and carrie in a floating housing. In a lie-inch mill, for example, the distance between the center of one of the rolls in the roughing stand and the center of the corresponding roll in the finishing stand is approximately 18 feet. This distance is not so great but that it is possible for a man standing at an intermediate point with respect to the roll stands, to effect the desired transfer of material from the rolls of one stand to the rolls of the other stand.

it is desirable With such mills, howev r to drive the top roll of the roughing stun in order to assist in the feeding of a sheet bar into position between the rolls. With ordinary unbalanced niills, it not considered advisable to jump the upper roll more than threefourths of an inch, although in some mills such rolls may be jumped as much as 1:} inches. With balanced rolls, however, it is not uncommon to roll bars as thick as 2% inches.

8, Serial No. 588,914.

lVith the present invention it is possible to maintain the advantages of a balanced mill and the advantages which are derived a positive driving of the top roll of the roughing stand, Without increasing the distance between the centers of the roll stands to such an extent as to make the tran Ier operation an unwieldy one.

At the present time there are several different methods of effecting this type of roll drive. The most common of these methods comprises the provision of a gear train inte mediate the tWo roll stands. In such constructions, however, the length of the gear faces plus the length of the necks and the Wobblers required for driving the same, is such that the distance between the centers of the roll stands is increased to such an extent as to make the transfer of metal from the rolls of one stand to the rolls of the otner stand a diilicult operation.

In other cases it has been proposed to drive the top roll of the roughing stand by a separate motor of comparatively low horse power. The dilliculty mounting this m0- to", together with the diliiculty or" accurately controlling the same, makes this construction generall undesirable.

In still other cases, an eil'ort has been made to provide a driving connection which will permit the desired speed variation of the upper roll of the roughing stand Without interfering With the operation of the mill. T e attainment of this result has been attempted by the provision o1 a chain drive and clutch connection intern'iediate the rolls, but it has been found that the operation of the clutch has not been satisfactory.

By the present invention the objections to existing constructions are obviated, While maintaining the advantages of a balanced mill oi the type ordinarily used.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, ther illust 'ated more or less dia gr mnatically, the rolls 2 of the roughing stand and the rolls 3 of the finishing stand. lit Will be understood that these rolls are mounted in any Well known manner, the upper rolls being balanced as is customary in the art.

For effecting a uniform drive between. the lower rolls 2 and 3 of the respective stands. there may be provided a spindle l journaled in suitable bearings in a floating housing 5. This housing is slightly modified from the usual standard construction, and comprises lugs 6 projecting therefrom. These lugs are adapted to be yieldingly supported from standards 7 of suitable construction proj ecting upwardly from the shoe plates 8.

The desired support for the floating housing may be conveniently obtained by the use of tension rods 9 extending through the lugs 6 and the standards 7 and surrounded by compression springs 10 abutting at one end against the standards 7 and at their opposite ends against adjustable followers 11. lit will be apparent that by reason of this construction the springs may be placed under the desired load to maintain the parts in the proper operating positions.

The ends of the spindle 4: may be formed, as is customary in this art, to provide a wobbler joint cooperating with the couplings 12, which are movable endwise over the ends of the rolls. This construction permits the necessary relative movement between the respective rolls and between each of the rolls and the housing 5.

Secured to the spindle 4 within the floating housing is a gear 18 which is adapted to drive a ring gear 14 provided with an inwardly projecting friction flange 15. This gear is frictionally engaged between the opposed frict'o-n faces 16, one of which is carried by the sleeve 17 jourualed within the floating housing 5 at one end, and the other of which is carried by the sleeve member 18 telescopically mounted with respect to the sleeve 17 and journaled in the opposite side 01? the housing 5. The respective sleeves 17 and 18 may be provided with interengaging keys 19 providing the desired driving relationship therebetween, and may be held in cooperative frictional engagement with the flange 15 by a compression spring 20. This frictional driving connection permits movement of the gear 14 independently of the sleeves 17 and 18 under certain load conditions, while insuring the desired driving re .lationship between the rolls when a sheet bar is not being operated upon.

The movement of the gear 14 is in turn transmitted to the top roll 2 in the rough ing stand through a suitable driving connection 21 having a universal driving engagement within the sleeve 17 at one end and a similar engagement within the coupling 22 at its other end.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there is provided a compact means for driving the top roll of a roughing stand of a balanced sheet mill. at all times. This advantageous result is secured. without unduly increasing the distance between the centers of the adjacent roll stands, whereby all of the advantages of well known installations are retained.

I claim: I

1. In a rolling mill, a two-high roughing stand, a two-high finishing stand, said stands being side by side in end-to-end relationship, a floating housing intern'iediate said stands, a spindle carried by said housing and connecting the lower roll. of one stand with the lower roll. of the other stand, and means for driving the upper roll of one of the stands from said spindle, substantially described.

2. In. a rolling mill, a two-high. roughing stand, a two-high finishing stand, 7 said stands being side by side in encbto-end relationship. a floating housii f intermediate said stands, a spindle carried by said housing and connecting the lower roll of one stand with th lower roll oi the other stand, and means for drivi n' the upper roll of the roughing stand tiom said spindle, substantially as described.

3. In a rolling mill. a two-high roughing stand, a two-high finishing stand, said stands beingside by side in end-to-end relationship. a floating; housing intermediate said stands. a spindle carried by said housing and connec In the lower roll of one stand with the lower roll of the other stand, and means for l rictionally driving the upper roll of one of the stands from said spindle, substantially as described.

4:. in a rolling mill, a two-high roughing stand. a two-high finishing stand, said stands being side by side in end-to-end relationship, a floating ho sing intermediate said stands, a spindle ca; 'icd by said housing and connecting the lower roll of one stand with the lower roll of the other stand, and means for trict-ionully driving the upper roll of the roughing stand t irom said spindle, substantially described.

In a rolling mill, two-high roughing stand, a two-high iii .shig stand. said stands being positioned side by side in end to-end relationship. a housin intermediate said stands, a spindle journaled in said housing and connecting the lower rolls in the respective stands, a sleeve journalcd in said housing, means forming a driving connection between said sleeve and the upper roll of one of said state ds, and means for frictionally driving said sleeve tram said spindle, substantially as described. H

6. In. a rolling mill, a two-high roughing stand, a two-high finishingstand, a floating housing; intermediate said stands, a spindle journaled in said housing and operatively connecting the lower rolls of the respective stands, driving connection for the upper roll ot the rough' stand, and means for frictionally driving connection from said spindle.

In testimony whereof l my hand.

FLORENCE (l. BIGGERT, JR.

have hereunto set 

